Paul danckwardt



(No Model.)

P. DANGKWARDT.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING GYANIDS.

No. 569,325. Patented .0013. 13, 1896.

IlNiTED STATES PAUL DANOKIVARDT, OF NE\V YORK, Y.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING CYANIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,325, dated October 13, 1896.

Application filed July 1, 1896. Serial No. 597,722. (No model.)

To (1], 115mm. (it may CON/08PM:

Be it known that I, PAUL DANCKWARDT, a citizen of Germany, residing at New York city, New York, have invented a new and Improved Process of and Apparatus for Prod ucin g Cyanids, (Salts of Hydrocyanic Acid,) of which the following is a specification.

The process consists, essentially, in subjecting the molten chlorid of an alkali or an alkali earth to electrolysis in order to liberate the chlorin and bring the metal into a nascent state, and mixing the nascent metal with carbon or some compound containing as one of its constituents carbon, either in a gaseous, liquid, or solid form, and also with a current of nitrogen or some nitrogenous substance, or some substance containing both carbon and nitrogen as constituents. For manufacturing cyanids by this method I prefer to use the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the electrolytic apparatus in connection with a common reverberatory furnace. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the electrolytic bath on line 2 2, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a vertical section of a modification of the apparatus with the furnace omitted.

In describing the apparatus I do not wish to limit myself to the particular form illustrated, as the process may be carried on in a differently arranged apparatus, the one shown being given merely as" an example.

The letter A represents the fireplace, and 13 the retort or hearth, of a common reverberatory furnace. A well or connecting-pipe 0 leads from the bottom of the hearth to the bottom of the electrolytic bath D. This bath consists of an upright iron cylinder H, provided on one side with a pocket or receptacle J, having outlet K. The bottom of the bath is closed by an iron plate L, provided with an asbestos or other insulating packing, so that the plate L is insulated and cannot act as a negative pole, while the top of the vessel is closed by a similarly-packed plate Q, provided with a manhole.

Through the cylinder II there extends a clay pipe M, having a perforated lower end for permitting free ingress of the liquid. IVithin this pipe is contained the positive pole R of the battery, consisting of carbon or other suitable material, the negative pole being formed by the body of the iron cylinder H itself. Inlet-pipes O and N serve for introducing gaseous substances, while P is an outlet-pipe for conducting all gaseous prodnets to some condensing-chamber.

The whole apparatus is set up in such a way that it can be heated to a high temperature. This can be effected by means of a jacket Z, surrounding the cylinder and communicating with the fireplace A.

To start the apparatus for work, I fill the cylinder II with the chlorids of the alkalies to be used up to the line S T. I prefer on account of cheapness to use common salt (N aCl) or a mixture of this with calcium chlorid, or I may use the corresponding chlorid of potassium. The remaining space above the salt is filled up loosely with carbon Y (any kind of coal) or with a substance containing carbon or both carbon and nitrogen. The fire is then turned on and after the salts in the apparatus have been molten, ornearly so, a current of electricity is passed through the apparatus, while a slow stream of nitrogen or some substance containing nitrogen is introduced through pipes O and N. As such a substance I prefer ammonia-gas. The reaction taking place consists in the decomposition of the salt orsalts, chlorin beingliberated at the positive pole and the metal or metals at the negative pole. The chlorin is carried away by the clay pipe M, but the metals on being liberated around the cathode, and being thus in a nascent state, will meet the stream of nitrogen or nitrogenous substance and also the immersed particles of carbon or carboniferous substance Y, or the compound gases containing carbon if instead of natural carbon a gaseous compound is used. The elements of nitrogen, carbon, and the metal under these conditions are bound to form their compound most stable at such a high temperature-viz. the cyanid of the metal or metals liberated, in the present example cyanid of sodium. The reaction is as follows:

NaCl: Na+ Cl. C+Na+N.II CNNa+I-I If any other cyanid is desired, I only need to replace the sodium salt by the chlorid of the metal which I wish to change into cyanid.

The cyanid thus formed collects in the pocket J, Where it is Withdrawn from the decomposing action of the current and is tapped at intervals from K, while fresh salt, which is previously smelted on the hearth of the reverberatory furnace, runs through the Well 0 into the lower part of the bath to be transformedinto cyanid.

In place of introducing carbon in a solid form it may be introduced in a gaseous form, say as carbon monoxid, either in mixture with the nitrogen or nitrogenous substance through the same pipe or through a separate pipe E, Fig. 3, or a number of pipes. So also I may introduce the nitrogen in a solid instead of a gaseous form, for instance as uric acid,

' the gist of the invention being to subject the alkali-earth metal, introducing into the molten bath carbon and nitrogen, electrolyzing the bath While in contact with said carbon and nitrogen, and continuously removing the cyanid so formed from the action of the electric current, substantially as described.

2. An apparatus for producing cyanids which consists of a metallic vessel forming a negative pole, a positive pole Within the vessel, a perforated tubo surrounding said posi tive pole, means for heating chlorid and a conduit therefrom leading to the metallic vessel, and a pocket in the side of the vessel and having a restricted communication therewith, and remote from said conduit, substantially as described.

PAUL DANCKWARDT. \Vitnesses F. v. BRIEsEN, WILLIAM SoHULz. 

